An IEEE bibliography is a numbered reference list of the works you cite, ordered by first appearance in your text. Each entry begins with its number in square brackets.
This guide explains the layout and numbering rules, then gives the formats for the source types engineers and computer scientists cite most, with a sample list you can check your own against.
The Rules of an IEEE Reference List
- Head the list References, at the end of the paper.
- Number entries [1], [2], [3] in the order you first cite them.
- Align the bracketed numbers in a column to the left of the entries.
- Give authors as initials followed by surname: J. K. Lee.
- Put article and chapter titles in quotation marks; italicize journal and book titles.
- Include only works cited in the text, each listed once.
References Versus Bibliography in IEEE
IEEE uses a reference list: every entry is cited in the text, and the numbers link text to list. Students often call this a bibliography, and some tutors use the words interchangeably.
A true bibliography lists background reading as well as cited works. IEEE style does not normally use one. If your tutor asks for a separate bibliography of uncited reading, follow their instructions and keep it apart from the numbered references.
Reference List Formatting Rules
| Element | IEEE rule |
|---|---|
| Heading | References, usually unnumbered and styled like other section headings |
| Order | Numerical, by order of first citation in the text |
| Numbers | In square brackets, flush left, with entries indented after them |
| Authors | Initials then surname; up to six listed, then first author and et al. |
| Titles of parts | Quotation marks, comma inside the closing mark |
| Titles of wholes | Italic; journal names abbreviated |
| Dates | Months abbreviated: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Jun., Jul., Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec. |
Unlike author-date styles, an IEEE list is never alphabetized. If you add a new citation early in a paper after drafting, every later number shifts, which is why reference managers are so useful here.
How Numbers Link the Text and the List
The reference list only works if the in-text numbers are right. Place the bracketed number inside the sentence, before any punctuation, and treat it as a footnote marker rather than a word.
Correct: Duty cycling extends the battery life of field sensors [1].
Correct, naming the author: Mensah et al. [1] tested duty cycling on maize farms.
Correct, as a noun: As shown in [3], latency falls sharply at the edge.
Avoid: In reference [3] it is shown that ...
Some writers prefer not to use a number as the subject of a sentence; "as shown in [3]" is acceptable in IEEE, but "the work in [3]" or naming the author often reads better.
Before you submit, check the list in both directions. Every number from [1] to the last must appear in the text, in order of first use, and no number may be skipped.
A Sample Mixed Reference List
The list below shows several source types in one numbered list. All details are invented to show the format.
[1] A. Mensah, Y. Liu, and D. Fischer, "Low-power sensor networks for crop monitoring," IEEE Sensors J., vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 5012–5020, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx.
[2] N. Okafor and P. Lindgren, Embedded Systems Design, 3rd ed. Leeds, U.K.: Northgate Press, 2020.
[3] M. Ruiz and H. Tanaka, "Edge computing in rural clinics," in Proc. Int. Conf. Health Informatics, Lisbon, Portugal, 2022, pp. 88–95.
[4] R. Bose, "Battery aging models," in Energy Storage Systems, K. Adeyemi, Ed. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2019, ch. 5, pp. 101–130.
[5] International Energy Agency, "Solar power outlook," Jun. 1, 2023. Accessed: Feb. 3, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.example.org/solar
[6] J. Moss, "Fault detection in micro-grids," Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Elect. Eng., Univ. Leeds, Leeds, U.K., 2021.
Notice that each entry ends with a full stop, except entries ending in a URL. The numbers simply follow the order in which the sources first appear in the paper.
Journal Articles, Books and Chapters
Journal Articles
Format: [n] A. A. Author, B. B. Author, and C. C. Author, "Title of article," Abbrev. Title of Journal, vol. x, no. x, pp. xxx–xxx, Abbrev. Month Year, doi: xxx.
Use the journal's standard abbreviation, such as IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron. for IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. Write "doi:" followed by the DOI number, without the https://doi.org/ prefix.
For articles published online before an issue, give "early access" and the DOI in place of volume and pages, then update the entry if the final version appears before you submit.
Books and Chapters
Book: [n] A. Author, Title of Book, xth ed. City, Country: Publisher, Year.
Chapter in an edited book: [n] A. Author, "Title of chapter," in Title of Book, A. Editor, Ed. City, Country: Publisher, Year, ch. x, pp. xxx–xxx.
E-book: [n] A. Author, Title of Book. City, Country: Publisher, Year. [Online]. Available: URL
For US publishers, the city is usually followed by the state abbreviation, for example "Hoboken, NJ, USA". Omit the edition for first editions.
Conference Papers, Theses and Reports
Conference paper: [n] A. Author, "Title of paper," in Abbrev. Name of Conf., City, Country, Year, pp. xxx–xxx.
Thesis: [n] A. Author, "Title of thesis," M.S. thesis (or Ph.D. dissertation), Abbrev. Dept., Abbrev. Univ., City, Country, Year.
Technical report: [n] A. Author, "Title of report," Abbrev. Name of Co., City, Country, Rep. xxx, Year.
Standard: [n] Title of Standard, Standard number, Year.
Abbreviate common words in conference names: Proceedings becomes Proc., International becomes Int., Conference becomes Conf. and Symposium becomes Symp.
Websites and Online Sources
Format: [n] Author or Organization, "Title of page," Website Name. Accessed: Abbrev. Month Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL
Software or code: [n] A. Author, Name of Software. (Version x.x). Publisher or platform. Accessed: Abbrev. Month Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL
Dataset: [n] A. Author, "Title of dataset," Repository, Year. [Online]. Available: URL
Online sources need an access date in IEEE. Record it when you first use a page, rather than reconstructing it later. If a source has a DOI, give the DOI instead of a URL, since it will not break.
Repeated Citations and Missing Details
Each source has one number for the whole paper. Cite it again with the same number, and add a page or section for precision if needed, for example [2, p. 45] or [3, Fig. 4].
- Do not use ibid., op. cit. or similar note abbreviations in IEEE.
- Cite several sources as [1], [4], [6] or a range as [2]–[5].
- If a source has no author, start with the title; if it has no date, write "n.d.".
- If a page has no title, give a brief description instead.
Our free citation generator builds IEEE entries from a DOI or URL, which speeds up long lists. Check abbreviations and access dates by hand.
Common IEEE Reference List Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| List sorted alphabetically | Sort by order of first citation |
| Same source listed twice | Give it one number and reuse it |
| Full first names | Use initials: A. B. Surname |
| Full journal names | Use standard abbreviations |
| Missing access date for web sources | Add "Accessed:" and the date |
| "https://doi.org/" in the entry | Write "doi:" followed by the number |
How Bibloq Helps with IEEE Reference Lists
Send your paper and its references in any form. An editor formats every entry to IEEE, renumbers citations by first appearance, abbreviates journal and conference titles and checks that every number in the text points to the right entry.
You get a clean copy and a tracked version. Free revisions are included within the scope of your original request.
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Frequently Asked Questions
In IEEE, the list is properly called "References" and includes only works cited in the text. Many people call it a bibliography informally.
By the order in which you first cite each source in the text, not alphabetically.
Up to six. For seven or more, give the first author followed by "et al."
Yes. IEEE uses standard abbreviations for journal and conference titles.
Use its original number each time. You can add a page number, such as [2, p. 45].
Yes. Add "Accessed:" with the date, followed by "[Online]. Available:" and the URL.
Write "doi:" followed by the DOI number at the end of the entry.
At the end of the paper, before any appendices, under the heading "References".
Every source cited after the new one moves down by one number. A reference manager renumbers automatically; by hand, recheck the whole list and text.
Yes. Add it inside the brackets after the number, for example [2, p. 45] or [3, Fig. 4], while keeping the source's original number.